Call for Seaside Tsar to save coastal towns like Skegness

A grim picture has been painted of the problems facing many coastal towns like Skegness. ANL-161107-082554001

The report, commissioned by the British Hospitality Association, calls for a Seaside Tsar to be appointed to help Britain’s forgotten seaside towns fight back from decades of decay.

It says that people living in seaside towns are more likely to be poorly educated, unemployed, unemployable, lacking in ambition, claiming benefits and living in multiple occupation housing.

A separate survey, conducted by the owners of Butlin’s and the BHA, found that more than half of the British public have not visited the British seaside in the past three years, and 65 per cent believe that the British seaside is run down and in need of investment.

Nine out of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in England are seaside communities, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation.

In the East Midlands, 188,228 people are employed in the hospitality and tourism industry which contributes £75 million to the region’s economy.

Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness, said: “The coastline and seaside resorts of South Lincolnshire form a vital part of both our local economy and identity, and families have been coming to towns like Skegness for almost 150 years.

“Our seaside towns have enormous potential, but the decline of the traditional British seaside holiday presents a variety of economic and social challenges that we must, and will, overcome. I am pleased to see the industry coming together under the BHA to tackle some of the issues that we face.”

For the full story and reaction to this see Wednesday’s Skegness Standard.